New from the author of Presumed Innocent, the #1 bestseller that redefined the legal thriller and is the basis for Apple TV+´s most-watched drama series ever.
Rusty is a retired judge attempting a third act in life with a loving soon-to-be wife. But the peace that´s taken Rusty so long to find evaporates when Bea´s young adult son, Aaron, living under their supervision while on probation for drug possession, disappears.
Aaron eventually turns up with a vague story about a camping trip with his troubled girlfriend, Mae. Dayslater, when she still hasn´t returned, suspicion falls on Aaron, and when Mae is subsequently discovered dead, Aaron is arrested and set for trial on charges of first degree murder.
Bea begs Rusty to return to court one last time, to defend her son. For Rusty, the question is not whether to defend Aaron, or whether the boy is in fact innocent-it´s whether the system to which he has devoted his life can ever provide true justice for those who are presumed guilty.